Bahrain: Between Religion and Reform
Whenever I am asked what topic of research I focus on, the response is usually the same. “You know that will never happen, right?” The long aspired to and elusive goal of establishing a weapons of mass destruction free zone in the Middle East is generally seen as unrealistic, a naïve vision that…
America’s Dangerous Disarming
Memorial Day was first observed in 1868 as a way to remember those who died while serving in our nation’s armed services. News segments and documentaries recognizing those who made the ultimate sacrifice pepper the television networks, but are little watched as…
Qatar Emir’s Mother Speaks Out Over Treatment of Muslims by the West
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Missned, one of most influential women in the Arab world, attacks ‘double standards’, comparing Charlie Hebdo with Chapel Hill. Muslims face dehumanisation when western countries apply double standards…
Is All Lost Regarding Establishing Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East?
Whenever I am asked what topic of research I focus on, the response is usually the same. “You know that will never happen, right?” The long aspired to and elusive goal of establishing a weapons of mass destruction free zone in the Middle East is generally seen as unrealistic, a naïve vision that…
Analysis | Iran, Gulf Security, and U.S. Policy – Katzman
Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, a priority of U.S. policy has been to reduce the perceived threat posed by Iran to a broad range of U.S. interests, including the security of the Arabian Gulf region. In 2014, a common adversary emerged in the form of the Islamic State organization…
Contain and Amplify
The Arab world is a pluralistic region that lacks pluralism — the ability to manage and embrace differences peacefully. As such, the Middle East’s pluralistic character — Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, Christians, Druze, Alawites, Jews, Copts, Yazidis, Turkmen and an array of…
ISIS Is Trying to Stir Up Sectarian War in Saudi Arabia
A suicide bombing in Saudi Arabia as it presses on with its war against Shi’ite fighters in Yemenhas exposed the Sunni kingdom’s failure to curb sectarianism at home and prompted fears that such tensions can only get worse.
U.S. Caution in Strikes Gives Isis an Edge, Many Iraqis Say
American intelligence analysts have identified seven buildings in downtown Raqqa in eastern Syria as the main headquarters of the Islamic State. But the buildings have gone untouched during the 10-month allied air campaign.
Lebanon and the Start of Iran and Saudi Arabia’s Proxy War
In the early morning of May 9, 2008, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah dispatched hundreds of heavily armed fighters to Beirut, and within twelve hours it had altered Lebanon’s political balance. Hezbollah and its allies quickly routed Sunni militiamen, took control of their political offices, and…
A Net Assessment of Europe
Last week I began this series with a Net Assessment of the World, in which I focused on the growing destabilization of the Eurasian land mass. This week I continue the series, which will ultimately analyze each region in detail, with an analysis of Europe. I start here, rather than in the…
